The Presidential administration launched on August 6 consultations for selecting the candidacy of the Supreme Court chair, four days after Nino Gvenetadze’s resignation.

The consultations today were held with professors of law of various Tbilisi-based universities.

Vakhusti Menabde, an associate professor at Ilia State University, said after the meeting that no specific candidates were discussed and that participants exchanged views on the selection procedures and criteria.

“The most important selection criteria should be professionalism and public trust, and that the nominee should have concrete views on matters concerning the judiciary,” Menabde said.

The President’s Political Secretary Pikria Chikhradze stressed the consultations were “crucially important” for addressing problems of the judiciary with “right and responsible steps.”

“The process will help us all, including the new chair, to understand the mistakes that have been made, to understand why we failed to lead the process in positive direction and why the judiciary turned into an enormous challenge for the country,” she added.

Chikhradze also said the Presidential administration would continue consultations and meetings with representatives of civil society organizations and rights watchdogs, as well as with political groups in the Parliament of Georgia.